The Paper Mill Playhouse production of the new musical Gun & Powder began previews April 4 and will officially open at the New Jersey venue April 14.
Inspired by the true story of sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, the
musical will continue through May 5. Watch highlights from the Paper Mill production in the video above.
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb and choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, the cast is led by Liisi LaFontaine (West End's Dreamgirls) as Martha Clarke, Ciara Renée (Waitress) as Mary Clarke, Jeannette Bayardelle (Girl From the North Country) as Tallulah Clarke, Aaron James McKenzie (A Beautiful Noise) as Elijah, and Hunter Parrish (To Kill a Mockingbird) as Jesse Whitewater. Jisel Soleil Ayon (Hamilton national tour) is the standby for the roles of Mary and Martha.
The ensemble includes Rickens Anantua, Reed Campbell, Carrie Compere, Meghan
Olivia Corbett, Joann Gilliam, Francesca Granell, Aaron Arnell
Harrington, Mary Claire King, Malik Shabazz Kitchen, Rayshun LaMarr,
Zonya Love, Tiffany Mann, Tony Perry, Adam Roberts, Hank Santos,
Christine Shepard, Katie Thompson, Aurelia Williams, and Jason
SweetTooth Williams.
Featuring a book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri, who is a descendant of the Clarke sisters, and music by Ross Baum, Gun & Powder follows Mary and Martha Clarke, Black twin sisters who take extraordinary measures to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and save her home in 1893 Texas.
The production also has musical direction by Austin Cook,
orchestrations by John Clancy, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume
design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Adam Honoré, sound design by
Connor Wang, wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas and Tony
Lauro, fight direction by Sordelet, Inc.'s Rick Sordelet, and intimacy
direction by Crista Marie Jackson.
Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting. Jakob W. Plummer is the production stage manager.
Solea Pfeiffer and Emmy Raver-Lampman starred in the world premiere of Gun & Powder at Virginia's Signature in 2020.
Visit PaperMill.org.